The Shelter Island Fireworks are cancelled for 2020, organizers said Monday.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the cancellation of the 63rd annual Shelter Island Fireworks for 2020,” Brett Surerus, a member of the Shelter Island Fireworks Committee said in an email
“We have a deep love for this island and make this decision with all of you in mind,” Surerus said in a statement on behalf of the committee. Other members are his wife, Kelly Surerus, Catherine Brigham, Nicholas Morehead, Susie Dempsey and Mary Dubitsky.
“The health and safety of our fellow Islanders is the single most important priority as we all stand together against an invisible enemy,” the statement from the board said. “We look forward to putting on an epic show for 2021 where we can celebrate as an Island, together. Stay safe, stay well and please support local businesses.”
The display from a barge off Crescent Beach in honor of Independence Day had been scheduled for Saturday, July 11.
In a phone call with the Gazette, Surerus said the committee has been in contact with Town officials over Zoom, and in early April there was discussion of possibly postponing the event to later in the summer.
“But as we rolled into May, we felt it was in the best interest of the community to cancel,” he said.
“It would be a challenge to fundraise for a cause that is purely entertainment when that money could go to something else,” he said.
To learn about the Shelter Island Fireworks, visit the organization’s website, shelterislandfireworks.com
Also Monday, the Hampton’s Collegiate Baseball League cancelled the summer season. Read about that in this Gazette post.
